Workers place bombs in front of foundry

VAUX, France, March 6 (UPI) -- Workers at a troubled French factory said they placed 14 bombs in front of the facility to get the public to take their situation "seriously."

Gabriel Gawin, of the French Confederation of Christian Workers (CFTC) union compulsory liquidation, said he and the rest of the 168 workers at the DMI foundry placed the gas cylinders linked to detonators in front of the foundry in Vaux when the business was threatened with closure, Radio France Internationale reported Wednesday.

"These days if you are nice, nobody takes any notice of you," said Rosa, a 30-year employee of the foundry. "Until now we have behaved properly but people must take our threat seriously. Some people have reached saturation point."

Rosa said the workers are demanding the factory remain open and preserve as many jobs as possible, with $65,000 bonuses for those who are laid off.

United Press International is a leading provider of news, photos and information to millions of readers around the globe via UPI.com and its licensing services.

With a history of reliable reporting dating back to 1907, today’s UPI is a credible source for the most important stories of the day, continually updated - a one-stop site for U.S. and world news, as well as entertainment, trends, science, health and stunning photography. UPI also provides insightful reports on key topics of geopolitical importance, including energy and security.

A Spanish version of the site reaches millions of readers in Latin America and beyond.

UPI was founded in 1907 by E.W. Scripps as the United Press (UP). It became known as UPI when after a merger with the International News Service in 1958, which was founded in 1909 by William Randolph Hearst. Today, UPI is owned by News World Communications.